Cathedral Peak and Amphitheater Mtn Winter Ascents

Cathedral Peak (8,601ft) and Amphitheater Mountain (8,358ft)

Probable First Winter Ascents

Jan 15-16, 2021, Eric and Josh

42 miles skiing, 27 miles snowmobiling

Cathedral Peak is a top contender for most remote Bulger peak in the winter in Washington. The closest way to get to it from the US side is 14 miles on snowed over unplowed forest service roads plus 21 miles of trail. I would say a similar contender is Ptarmigan Peak, which is 16 miles on snowed over roads and 20 miles of trail in winter. I’d previously climbed Ptarmigan Peak in February 2021 and was looking to climb Cathedral in winter.

Cathedral is more challenging than Ptarmigan because it has an infamous chasm jump just a hundred feet before the summit. This is a ~50ft deep chasm that you have to make a long step across to a narrow ledge then mantle up on the other side. On the way back you generally jump across. While this is not too difficult in the summer, I anticipated it could be tough in ski boots and crampons if it was covered in snow and ice.

In June 2018 I’d climbed Cathedral and Amphitheater peaks as a long car-to-car solo day hike, so was familiar with the routes. I think this familiarity is critical for ensuring success on a winter climb, where so many things can go wrong and add delays. In December 2020 I had planned to head in to this area with a few partners, and we had concluded the optimal winter approach was from the Andrews Creek trailhead. This approach starts from a sno park, and the first nine miles of road are occasionally groomed, meaning travel will be fast and likely free of blowdowns. Generally getting a snowmobile around a blowdown on a road is much more difficult than skiing around a blowdown.

Another potential option is to start from the Thirty Mile trailhead, but this adds many extra miles of snowmobiling on seldom-traveled roads which may have many uncleared blowdowns. The Cathedral Driveway trailhead is another option, but this requires driving much farther to Loomis and there is no sno park and no regular grooming, so there is uncertainty in this approach.

In December it snowed much more than anticipated the day before we planned to head in, and we were concerned about snow stability. One of our snowmobiles was also acting up so we bailed on the trip. I’ve found it is not uncommon in the winter to have to bail like this.

In November 2021 I decided to do a scouting trip to the area to gather more information about a winter attempt. Our planned route up the Andrews Creek trail goes through a burn zone from the 2003 Fawn Peak Complex fire, and there are still many stags that have yet to fall. This made me concerned blowdowns could significantly slow us down in the winter. Predicting speed is another critical factor in winter Bulger ascents, and I wanted to get an accurate speed prediction. So I decided to ski in there and check it out.

I was able to drive to the trailhead and hike in a few miles before hitting snow. I then skied up to Amphitheater Mountain and back down to camp at Spanish Creek, then skied out the next day. There were very few blowdowns and I timed it as 13 hours in to the summit and 9 hours out from the cabin.

In January 2022 I returned to the US from a country highpointing trip to West  Africa and my first free weekend looked like it would be excellent conditions in the Pasayten. I found three partners interested in joining, so we would be a group of four with two snowmobiles. It’s a great idea to have multiple people helping break trail and multiple snowmobiles in case one breaks down that far in.

Friday night we headed out to Winthrop, but unfortunately one of our partners had to cancel last minute, so we were reduced to a group of three – me, Tim, and Josh. We got to sleep around 9pm at the Eightmile Sno Park and were up at 1am packing. We estimated 1-2 hours snowmobiling in, then 13 hours to summit cathedral, hopefully before sunset. Then we would tag Amphitheater in the dark. I packed a 30m rope and small rack to pitch out the chasm jump and any other sketchy parts of Cathedral. I’ve found if a mountain is 3rd or 4th class in the summer it generally warrants a rope in the winter.

I started loading up my snowmobile while Josh and Tim worked on Josh’s. Unfortunately while unloading the trailer Tim’s hand got badly banged up. It was bad enough he would need a few stitches, and it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to attempt the peaks. We decided he would drive to a nearby clinic while Josh and I would continue and go for the peaks.

But then Josh’s snowmobile refused to start. We tried all the standard tricks but couldn’t debug what was going on. It was an older used model Josh had just bought, and it had started no problem the previous day. By then it was 2am and it seemed like we might have to bail on the trip yet again if anything else went wrong. We decided Josh and I would double up on my snowmobile and go for the peaks. My snowmobile is new and reliable, so the trip could still work.

We loaded up my sled, and it started up no problem. So we were soon heading up the road. The road had been groomed ten days earlier, but there was a foot of new snow on it and just one set of tracks. Travel was still pretty smooth for the first nine miles and I was averaging about 30mph.

Interestingly, I’ve found there is a sweet spot for the ideal road conditions. If the road is very popular with sledders (like highway 20) it will get lots of whumphs (like really big washboards) and travel will be slow. If it doesn’t get travelled at all and is deep powder, travel will also be slow. But if it gets travelled only occasionally it is packed down enough but doesn’t have whumphs, so travel is fast. Our road FS 5160 was in this ideal case for the first nine miles.

After that we followed ungroomed road with no other tracks, and it was a bit harder to balance. By around 3am we reached a point just half a mile from the Andrews Creek trailhead and were stopped by a big clump of blowdowns. I got out to inspect, and it looked possible to axe them out, but it would take a while. I walked past and there was another big tree 20ft farther. I had an ax, and it would be fun to clear the road, but we figured it would be faster to just park there and skin the extra half mile. If I’d had a chainsaw it might make sense to clear the trees, but also might just be more work to get in only another half mile.

So we unloaded the sled and started up the road. Within 20 minutes we reached the Andrews Creek trailhead and started up the trail on the left. Josh led the way and we were sinking in a bit, but overall the snow was pretty well- consolidated and travel was efficient.

This was my fifth time on this trail over the past few years, and Josh had trail run it in the summer, so the terrain was very familiar. We took turns breaking trail, and by 7am it was bright enough to turn headlamps off. Unfortunately there were quite a few more blowdowns than in November, likely from all the additional snow. We were able to make it over and around them all without too much difficulty. I actually remembered a few that I had crawled under in November that we could now ski over with all the additional snow.

By noon we reached Andrews Pass and glided down the other side. We eventually reached the Spanish Creek cabin and dropped off our overnight gear there. It was locked, but still had a porch out front and a bench that would be comfortable to sit on while cooking dinner.

Interestingly, I’ve heard of other groups skiing into this area in winters decades ago and sometimes being able to use the cabin. In February in the 1940s Dale Allen and partner Walt skied into the area, camping at Spanish Creek and continuing through Cathedral Pass to the Tungsten Mine cabin. In late March 1958 Chuck and Marion Hessey skied into the area and were able to sleep in the Spanish Creek Cabin. They skied to Cathedral Pass and skied the lower slopes of Amphitheater Mountain. I haven’t been able to find reports of people reaching the summits of these peaks in winter, though.

After dropping gear we continued on, making a beeline for Amphitheater Mountain by skirting around the right side of Peak 7685. We rounded the peak, then traversed the northwest side of Amphitheater to Upper Cathedral Lake. By then the sun was just setting, and it made for great lighting. Unfortunately that meant we’d be climbing Cathedral in the dark, though.

We skinned up the southwest sloped of Cathedral until it got too steep and icy, and we ditched skis in the trees. We donned crampons there and continued up the slope. I was happy to have already climbed Cathedral previously so I could navigate the correct route even in the dark. Fortunately the moon was out, though, and this was helpful for navigation.

We took turns kicking steps, and it was at times challenging. There was an icy crust that made skinning up impracticle, but it was thin enough that we would punch through to powder. I think the solution for this terrain is to use ascent plates, which I plan to try in the future. There was talk of bailing, but I took over and employed my knee-snow-clearing technique. I clear with my knee, then pack with my foot, then alternate. It was actually pretty efficient.

As we got higher it turned to pure ice and we frontpointed up to rocks, then scrambled to the ridge. I recalled this being easy 3rd class in the summer, but in the dark covered in ice and snow and using ski boots and crampons it was a lot more challenging. Two places we planned to rappel rather than downclimb on the return.

We eventually reached the ridge and the first chasm crossing, and the terrain got even spicier. We had to traverse a narrow snowed-over ledge above a 30ft drop, and continue on similar terrain to the crux chasm jump. There was more discussion of bailing. I said I would lead the traverse, and if it was too sketchy we’d bail.

I had just brought four cams and three slings, thinking I’d only need those for the chasm jump, but now it was clear we’d need to rope for much more. I got a cam in just before the traverse and Josh clipped in to belay me. Then I carefully traversed over. The handholds were good, and after I kicked steps in the snow the ledge seemed less sketchy. I got another cam in 2/3 across the traverse, and then slung a horn in a protected cove.

Josh came over and we agreed to continue. I couldn’t exactly remember the route and naively continued up the narrowing ledge directly towards the chasm jump. But I was blocked by a sketchy 5th class sloping narrow ledge that would be tough in those conitions. I didnt’ remmeber this, so downclimbed and went directly up to the ridgecrest from our belay.

Here the terrain looked more familiar and much easier. I went a full ropelength and belayed Josh on a slung horn, then we did one short mini pitch to the chasm jump. I slung a horn and got a cam in there and Josh clipped in. I peered over at the chasm and it was more intimidating than I remembered. It didn’t help that it was at night, a cold wind was howling through the chasm, both sides were covered in snow and ice, and I was in ski boots and crampons.

Josh was happy not doing the chasm crossing, but I wanted to tag the summit. So we planned he would belay me up till I ran out of rope. Then I would untie, tie the rope off and continue to the summit from there before getting belayed back. I recalled the scramble above the chasm was quite exposed and expected I’d appreciate the rope in these conditions.

I stood at the edge and mustered up my courage. There was a small crimpy ledge on the other side about knee height covered in snow and ice. I counted down three-two-one then leaned over the chasm and kicked my foot out. My crampon frontpoints caught on the ledge and I used my momentum to roll up to the other side and quickly mantle up onto the higher snow ledge. I swung my other leg up and was safely across. I hoped that was the crux.

I got a cam in just above the mantle move and continue up the ridge. The slabby ridge was a bit less secure than I remembered since it was covered in ice and snow and I was in ski boots and crampons. I found small ledges to balance on and got one more cam in before I ran out of rope. By then I was on in a flat secure area 20ft from the summit, so I put in my last cam, tied the rope to it, then untied myself.

I scrambled over to the summit by 8:30pm and took a short break. There was unfortunately no view, but I imagined what it would look like based on my trip there in 2018. I dug around in vain for the summit register but couldn’t find it. I didn’t want to keep Josh waiting, so I returned to the rope, tied back in, and yelled for him to take.

The descent was a bit sketchier and I was happy to have the rope. I soon made it back to the chasm, and mustered more courage for the jump. I was a few feet higher than the ledge Josh was on, so it made sense just to jump across in this direction. Luckily there were a few inches of snow on his side to help with the landing in crampons. Also, it was nice that the wind blowing through the chasm was blowing the rope out of my way.

I did another countdown, then stepped to the edge and jumped over. The landing was smoother than I expected, and I grabbed on to the rock on the other side to slow down. It was a relief to be done with the crux. The rope was already stacked with me on top so we agreed to just simulclimb back to the first chasm crossing.

I led the way weaving the rope around horns on the top, then got one cam in descending to the traverse, one on the traverse, and one on the other side. I think I brought the perfect amount of gear. I belayed Josh over and we packed up the rope. There were still two potential rappels, though.

We scrambled back to the first sketchy step, but decided the holds were solid enough we would try downclimbing. This worked out ok, and we were able to downclimb the lower sketchy step also, so didn’t need to do any rappels. I stashed the rope in my pack and we continued downclimbing facing in down the icy slopes. I was happy to have the whippet, and a second tool would have been even nicer.

After a bit of searching we eventually found our skis and strapped them on. We were able to ski down past Upper Cathedral Lake and a bit farther before needing to transition to skins. Josh decided to ski directly back to camp, but I still wanted to tag Amphitheater. I knew from my trip in November the slopes were all very low angle and it would be safe to solo.

I wrapped around the west peak and skinned up to the col just north of the summit. But the snow was a sheet of ice and seemed unwise to try to ski down that from the summit at night. I was also getting pretty tired by then and felt safer just walking in crampons. So I ditched the skis and my pack there, strapped on crampons, and continued up. Interestingly back in November I was able to ski from the summit, but now deep in winter I couldn’t.

I reached the summit by 11:30pm and took a 2 minute break on top. By now the moon was high in the night sky and I could actually get a descent view of the surrounding peaks. It was very cold and windy, though, so I soon retreated. I walked down the ice back to my pack, then skied down from the col.

I made it to our up tracks, then transitioned to skins and skinned back to the cabin by 1am. Josh was already asleep, but I still had chores to do. I set up my bivy sack, melted a few liters of water, and cooked up dinner. By 2:15am I finally made it to sleep for a 25 hour day.

We had talked about maybe climbing the west face of Remmel the next morning on our way out, but Josh wasn’t interested after Cathedral had been much more difficult than expected. I thought maybe I could go for it solo, though that would require me getting up at 4:30am to give me enough head start so we could meet up and get back to the sno park that evening to meet Tim as planned. I optimistically set my alarm.

4:30am came way too soon, and the 2 hour nap didn’t seem sufficient for me to put in another big day. The gully up the west face was pretty steep, and I was nervous about doing that with so little sleep. Already I had been half falling asleep on the ascent up Amphitheater. So I semi-reluctantly turned the alarm off and went back to sleep. This is a good example of how conditions and speed are very difficult to predict in the winter, and small changes in conditions and speed can have a big impact on plans.

By sunrise around 7:30am we were up and packing. I felt adequately rested by then, but there was no longer time for Remmel. We would have to save it for a future trip. That was ok, since it was less remote than Cathedral and Amphitheater and would be easier to squeeze in a long day or reasonable overnight trip.

We were soon heading out, and navigation was easy following our skin tracks. We made quick progress to Andrews Pass, then skied down to a creek below. Josh showed me a trick to clip the nalgen to a pole handle and lower it into the creek. This is a lot easier than climbing down the steep snow walls to get water.

We skinned south for a while, then transitioned back to downhill mode. We were able to make it down mostly in downhill mode since we’d already broken trail, and reached the snowmobile shortly after dark. It looked like one fresh set of snowmobile tracks in there from the weekend, but nobody had cut out the trees.

We picked up the tail and turned the snowmobile around, then loaded it up. It started no problem, and we cruised out on our old tracks. I was able to make good time, and we reached the sno park at 7:30pm as planned. Tim was waiting, and his hand was doing better after getting a few stitches.

Unfortunately Josh’s snowmobile still refused to start, and it took us a bit of ingenuity to get it back on his trailer. But we eventually got everything packed up. Then Tim and I drove over to Early Winters Campground on Highway 20 near Mazama to get ready for our Monday trip skiing up near Washington Pass.

Video of the trip:

 

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